rejuvenatement – not retirement

The macaw flew out the window
and my world became inescapably grey.
Poe’s raven without naming text
no black, no white.
Like peering closely at a newspaper,
pica type-print not visible
only paper fibers
etched in fine lines of shaded grey.
Guaranteed indelible ink
smudged by presses.
And no voices.
Only empty word bubbles
suspended from flapping mouths.
Filmed eyes watch stick figures
slink nearby in slow motion.
What happened to me that day?
The day the macaw flew out my window.

Dedicated to those who live in the throes of mental illness or depression,invisible too long.

Powerful words! How can we be sure the macaw will stay? Most folks did not turn him out on purpose. Brings attention to my need to be thankful that he is in, and definitely not judgmental to those who have lost.

Lillian,
Love how you’ve shifted the ‘spectrummed’ macaw to a ‘colorless/nameless’ raven – gorgeous visuals here, that highlight a higher purpose: under-diagnosed, often times misunderstood ‘diseases’ such is mental illness.
am:)

Such a thoughtful comment this morning…..thank you. This was an interesting one to write. George said last night, “Where did you get this?” It’s hard sometimes, I think, to figure out where some ideas come from. I’d jotted down “macaw flies out a window and takes all color with him” the day before, in the midst of a knitting project. And then in my early morning journaling/writing….this came from that.
And always glad to see the words “gorgeous visuals” coming from an artist! 🙂
Thank you my friend…happy hump day!